1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of airport security and more particularly to a method and system for identifying and tracking a passenger or employee in and through airports.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the art of airport security to provide an identification badge to employees. Passengers on the other hand are identified only by a single photo ID that may be presented at check-in time. Security consists entirely of two questions concerning baggage. No check is made on the passenger and the passenger""s whereabouts is not tracked. The only other encounter where anything is checked is when the passenger checks into a flight. Here a boarding pass is presented and the passenger boards the aircraft. There is no verification that the same passenger who checked in is the one that boarded, and it is very easy for a boarded passenger to exit the aircraft after boarding without being noticed by anyone. In short, security at airports is minimal as to who a passenger is and where the passenger is.
Prior art systems have proposed electronic tickets and smartcards that can be carried by passengers. Tuttle in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,671 teaches a system for locating an individual in a facility where a portable wireless transponder device is borne by the individual. Tuttle""s device resembles a standard security badge with a possible photo of the individual on the badge. Tuttle""s invention is directed toward location of employees who would wear such badges. Tuttle also teaches that a passenger could also possess such an ID and be located. However, Tuttle makes no reference to any type of security checking of the individual. U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,671 is hereby incorporated by reference.
Yokozawa et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,369 teach an information delivery system and portable information terminal where an individual possesses a smartcard type of wireless device and can be tracked by a wireless system. Yokozawa also teaches a person passing through a check-in gate with the gate itself recognizing and communicating with the portable device by wireless means. While Yokozawa teaches a wireless device carried by a passenger, this reference also fails to mention any security aspects of the situation. U. S. Pat. No. 5,740,369 is hereby incorporated by reference.
The prior art thus teaches systems where passengers and/or employees carry wireless smartcards that communicate in data bases; however, none of these systems solve the tremendous security problem that exists at airports where potential passengers could be terrorists, felons or other dangerous persons, and whether a passenger actually boards a flight and remains on the plane, and whether the passenger actually arrives and exits a second or subsequent airport. In the current airport system and prior art systems, there is no connection or relationship between airline database information and security database information.
What is badly needed in the art is a method and system of airport security where a passenger can be positively identified at check-in time, tracked at all times in that airport, tracked while boarding an aircraft, tracked upon arrival at a second or subsequent airport, and noted when exiting a final airport. In addition, a system is badly needed that ties into police or FBI databases to identify dangerous people in the airport or approaching flights or boarding aircraft and then leaving the craft before takeoff.
The present invention is a method and system for airport or building security where a passenger or other person presents him/herself at the check-in counter in the normal way. A government generated picture ID is also presented in the normal way (drivers license, passport, etc.). The present invention however then requires additional positive identification by fingerprint scan, retina scan, voice scan, handprint, palmprint, finger length comparison, or other means. In addition, a new photo can be taken of the passenger during check-in. The total data thus acquired can be compared against law enforcement, FBI, databases (also INTERPOL, etc.), or immigration to determine immediately if the potential passenger is wanted or known to be dangerous. There needs to be no indication at the check-in counter if a positive ID is made on a dangerous individual; rather, airport security personnel are immediately notified.
After the ID process, the passenger can be checked into the flight in the normal way and then given a smartcard wireless device (which will be called a PASS smartcard) which serves as a boarding pass and airport tracking device. The pass smartcard is a small, flat, card like a credit card that can contain electronics and wireless communication capabilities. Since the location of this smartcard wireless device can be tracked in the airport by normal wireless antenna location means, by GPS, or by direction fixing between multiple antennas, or any other tracking means, the approximate location of the person is known at all times while in any area of the airport or building. In the case of a positive ID of a dangerous or wanted individual, law enforcement officials can apprehend the person anywhere in the airport or building that allows a safe and non-disruptive apprehension.
The system also reports when the person has passed through carry-on security (normal X-ray, etc.), or any other security check point, when the person is in the departure gate area, and when the person has boarded an aircraft. At boarding, a second security check can be made with a second fingerprint or retinal scan or any other positive identification means to verify that the person who checked in originally is the one boarding the flight. The system can positively make sure the person boards a certain aircraft and stays on since egress could be controlled by having to present the PASS smartcard to exit. In the rare case of someone having to legitimately leave an aircraft after boarding, airline personnel would be immediately notified by the smartcard at egress to ascertain why the exit is being made and being able to assist the person (who might have gotten on the wrong plane, might be sick, etc.). An illegal or unexpected egress would be immediately noted by airport security personnel. It is also possible to continue to communicate with the PASS smartcard inside the aircraft if the craft is also equipped with a wireless system. In addition, satellite communication can be carried on with the aircraft and smartcards inside the aircraft while it is in flight or parked at a gate.
Upon arrival at a final or intermediate airport, a normal egress from the aircraft would be noted by the system in the new airport. The passenger""s location could be tracked by the system to baggage pickup and airport exit, or until re-boarding a subsequent flight. When the passenger finally exited the final airport, the smartcard could be collected and recycled for reuse, and the system would note that the person had left the system.
The key to the present invention, and the major improvement over prior art, is the totally and positive identification of the person, a possible security check on every individual in an airport or any other secure building against law enforcement or imigration/customs information, positive tracking at all times as to the location or the person in the world air transportation system consisting of all participating airports, and a final determination that an individual has arrived at a final destination and departed the system.
The present invention could be optionally applied to all people in airports or any other building including visitors by also requiring them to register on entry, at least by fingerprint scan, and also carry a pass smartcard while in the airport or building. This system would not be an unacceptable burden on privacy considering it would be totally unintrusive except for the required positive ID and the requirement to carry the smartcard while in the airport. Anyone who tried to leave an airport without a smartcard could be stopped and re-identified (sometimes people might lose the smartcard). A lost pass smartcard could be located through wireless communication with it. In this optional scenario, probably only a fingerprint check would be made at the entry with a very simple, visitor""s PASS smartcard being given to the person. In the case of a passenger; a more sophisticated PASS smartcard could be exchanged at check-in time.
The more sophisticated version of the PASS smartcard could be equipped with an LED display device where flight schedules could be called up and with an alarm that would buzz or otherwise indicated upon the approach of boarding time. In addition, the more sophisticated PASS smartcard could be tied into the internet for the convenience of the passenger so that the passenger could receive or send E-mail, get stock quotes, or generally surf the internet while waiting for the flight. An buzz or audible alarm could sound if there was an important announcement coming in for that passenger such as a gate change, etc.
The present invention anticipates the need for greater and more sophisticated security at airports, other buildings, secure venues, and/or government facilities. It offers a simple but elegant solution to the problem of whether a person should be in a certain area or not, whether the correct passenger has actually boarded and stayed on a flight, and whether at a final destination, a passenger has deplaned and actually left the airport. The present invention prevents someone having two boarding passes, or someone boarding the wrong flight, or someone exiting an aircraft after boarding without airline personnel being aware. In addition, the present invention allows apprehension of wanted persons entering airports or boarding flights while preventing identity switches between the person who checked in and the person who actually boarded the aircraft. The present invention can also optionally be used for non-passengers such as employees and visitors.